Freeze-proof drinking fountain



Jan.. 14, 1958 w. H. woon 2,819,926

- FREEZE-PROOF DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed oct. 4, 1954 sheets-sheet I I EN T|| |L| l w is g -I *um I L u l@ WWII ,2r

Jan. 14, 1958 w. H. woon FREEZE-PROOF DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed Oct. 4, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u NQ ww f CM Ilm-u2' "ames:

mi l Il- Tw/l I ZIwfQHT/LOW; PB walter @C 200002 Jan. 14, 1958 w. H. wooD 2,819,926

FREEZE-PROOF DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed Oct. 4, 1954 3 SleetSf-Sheetl 5 y r y l ,l

5, @QM 7M@ cf' 2 Ciaims.

This invention relates to freeze-proof drinking fountains characterized by having the Water supply pipes located in closed spaces or buildings which are kept at temperatures above the freezing point and having fountains and operating parts located on the outside of the building. My improvements may be designated as-automatic freeze-proof valve and drain assemblies for staple wall hung drinking fountains.

The present invention is directed particularly to the push button valve and connections with a suitable supply pipe and especially to means whereby all surplus water from both the supply and waste lines will drain back into the heated portion of the building, each time the fountain is used, and the expo-sed portion of the supply pipe to the bubbler or drinking part of the fountain will be drained completely after each operation.

Other advantages and novel features of this invention will appear more fully from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. l is a front or outside View of a fountain shown attached to a wall.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view of the cabinet with the front part removed and showing the operating parts as seen from the inside of the building.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the fountain and operating mechanism shown as applied to a wall of a building, taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the supply pipe and operating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved valve having novel self-draining features.

Fig. 7 is an end view as seen from the right of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6 showing the valve in open or discharging position; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the valve with parts broken away for convenience in illustration.

As shown in these drawings, 10 represents any suitable drinking fountain which may be secured to a wall 11 in any convenient manner such as well known in the art. The outlet or bubbler '12 is connected by fittings 13 with a passageway 14 in a cap 15 which engages with one end of a cover tube 16. The tube 16 has a sliding fit or engagement with a nipple 17 which extends through a hole 18 made for it in the wall 11 and is provided at one end with a slip nut and gasket 19 for engagement with the tube 16 to make a tight fitting. The opposite end of the nipple 18 has a threaded cap 20 which serves to hold a ber glass insulating plug 21 in the end of the nipple. A lock nut 22 coacts with the nut 19 to hold the nipple in position in the wall.

A metallic cabinet or box 23 is mounted on the Wall 11 within the heated or Warm section of the building and serves to contain and protect most of the operating parts of my apparatus. This box is preferably lined with insulating material 24 particularly to prevent the contact with the wall from unduly cooling the pipes and connections within the box.A The passageway 14 is connected by suitable pipes and connections 25 with the outlet port 26 of the valve 27 best shown in Figs. 6-9.

The valve inlet 28 is connected by means of inlet pipe 29 with any source of water supply for the fountain. This pipe may be provided with an automatic regulator 30 if desired. The body of the valve is provided with a ange 31 whereby it may be secured in the box by means of bolts or the like. Theginlet port 28 leads to a short cylinder 32 in the body of the valve which in turn opens into a larger cylinder 33 which in turn has an enlarged portion 34 as shown in Fig. 6.

A valve stern 35 passes through a nut 36 in the end of the opening 34 which is provided with a gland 37 to make a tight closure for the stem. The inner endy of the valve stern is provided with a plunger 38 formed of any suitable material such as a leather washer as in pumps or the like which tits closely within the cylinder 32. The stem also has an enlargement 39 which is shouldered to engage with, one end of a spring 40 which is biased toward closingl position for the valve. The enlargement 39 has a peripheral groove 41 which carriesan O-ring 42 that makes a tight fit in the cylinder 33. The valve has an outlet or drain which comprises the self-draining feature 43 leading downwardly from the enlarged opening 34 in the valve as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. This outlet duct or hole connects with the enlarged opening adjacent to the end of the smaller cylinder 33.

A perforated pipe 44 has threaded engagement with a lug 45 on the valve and it receives the waste from the valve. This provides an air gap in the outlet or waste line which is essential for proper plumbing practice. The lower end of the perforated pipe 44 is connected by means of a pipe and fittings 46 with a Waste or discharge pipe 47 which will presently be described, this pipe being provided with a trap 48 and outlet pipe 49 leading to any point of disposal such as a sewer. g The valve 27 is actuated to open the same to supply the bubbler by means of a lever 50 which is pivoted at 51 to an arm 52 extending upwardly from the body of the valve 27.

The lever 50 is actuated by a rod 53 having a push button 54 at one end thereof. As shown in Fig. 5, this rod is mounted in a tube 55, one end of which is secured in the cap 15 and the opposite end extends through a hole in the insulating plug 21. The rod 53 passes through a plug or nut 56 which is threaded into the opening in the cap 15. A spring 57 on a rod 53 tends to urge it to closed position. The rod 53 engages with the long end of the lever 50, the arrangement being such that the added leverage makes it exceedingly easy to open the valve so that the fountain may be operated by small children as well as adults.

The usual drain pipe 58 from the bowl of the fountain lil extends into a nipple 59 which is fastened in the wall 11 and is threaded at both ends, one end is provided with a slip nut 60 and escutcheon 61. The opposite end is connected with an elbow 62 which in turn is connected with the drain pipe 47 heretofore described.

When the push button and rod are pushed inwardly, they move the lever 50 so that it presses the valve rod 35 inwardly until the O-ring engages with the end of the cylinder 33 thus shutting oil the connection from this cylinder to its outlet 43. The inward movement of the plunger 3S opens the inlet orifice from the pipe 28 and the water ows into the chamber or cylinder 33 and then out through the outlet pipe 25 to the bubbler, thus furnishing the desired water for drinking. When the push rod is released, the springs 4t) and 57 return the parts to normal or closed position. The plunger 38 passes the inlet 28 and closes the cylinder, thereby shutting olf the 'Jatented Jain. A14,. 1195i?.1

supply of water. At the same' time, the O-ring moves to the right as shown in Fig. 6, thereby' opening the outlet and water is permitted to drain from the bubbler and connecting pipes to the main waste. In this connection,it will be noted that the section of the pipe 25 which is positioned in the tube or pipe 16 is pitched downwardly sutiiciently so as to insure the prompt'discharge of all water from the bubbler. In order to be sure that the pipe will be properly pitched downwardly by the plumber installing the same, the threaded opening for the threaded end of the pipe is pitched downwardly at the proper angle to insure the csnwnward slope of the pipe when screwed into the cap From this description, it will be seen that my improved fountain provides means whereby drinking water may be supplied wherever a heated building is available, even if the temperature outside of the building is below freezing. In many of the parks in places where freezing occurs, it is necessary to remove or shut olf all of their drinking fountains for the winter, which is exceedingly expensive and requires a large amount of effort. My freeze-proof fountain is particularly adapted for parks, lling stations, public buildings or wherever the same may be found necessary or desirable.

In installations of this type, if the drain is hooked directly into the sewer from the fresh water supply, it is dangerous to the public health in that the water in the supply line can be contaminated. My improved valve and drain assembly is provided with a suiiicient air gap to preclude the possibility of the supply line being contaminated by a connection with the drainage fitting.

A large number of plumbing manufacturers make and sell wall hung drinking fountains of various types. My improved supply and drain apparatus provides an assembly which may be used with substantially all of the diierent makes of bubbler drinking fountains or the like, which are now on the market.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a drinking fountain having a bowl and a bubbler for mounting exteriorally of a building, a drain from the bowl which extends through the wall of the building and downwardly to a point of discharge within the building a self-draining valve mounted adja- .cent to the downwardly extending portion of the drain, a perforated tube connected with the valve drain, a pipe connecting the tube with the main drain, said valve having a spring pressed plunger for opening and closing the same, a lever mounted on the valve and coacting with the valve stem, a casing extending through the wall of the building, a pipe from the valve passing through the casing, a cap engaging with the inner end of the casing, said pipe pitching downward for draining, a connection from the cap for supplying water to the bubbler, a tube mounted in the casing and extending through the wall of the building, a plunger mounted in the tube and coacting with the lever for opening the valve, and a spring on the plunger tending to return it to normal position.

2. The combination with a staple wall hung drinking fountain provided with a bubbler and mounted on the outside of a building, of a drain from the fountain which extends through the wall of the building and downwardly to a point of discharge within the building, a self-draining valve mounted adjacent to the downwardly extending portion of the drain, a perforated tube connected with the valve drain, a pipe connecting the tube with the main drain, said valve having a spring-pressed plunger for opening and closing the same, a lever for increasing power to open the valve mounted on the valve and coacting with the valve stem, a casing extending through the wall of the building, a pipe from the valve passing through the casing, a cap secured to the inner end of the casing and having a tapped hole therein pitched downwardly for receiving the end of the pipe, a connection from the cap for supplying water to the bubbler, a tube mounted in the casing and extending through the wall of the building, and a plunger mounted in the tube and coacting with the long arm of the lever for opening the valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,121,149 Suppes Dec. 15, 1914 2,709,622 Erickson May 31, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 623,698 Great Britain May 20, 1949 

